15 Reasons You Should Be Paying Attention to Everything J.R. Smith Does

If you’re following anyone else in the NBA playoffs more closely than J.R. Smith, I have some bad news: You are messing up.

Why? Because as of the last several months or so, the New York Knicks’ sixth man/human highlight reel has cranked out more ridiculous plays, troubling statements and otherwise goofy greatness than anyone else in the National Basketball Association—including Metta World Peace.

Don’t believe me? Well, click on and I’ll show you exactly why J.R. Smith is the full-service entertainment package we’ve all desperately needed, both off and on the court.

He's Completely Unpredictable

Just when you’re getting comfortable and thinking “Alright, J.R. Smith is a big boy. He can hit the rim with the ball,” he doesn’t.

Why? Because forget your expectations, that’s why.

Some might see a fluke here, but I see a calculated decision by Smith to cover his bases and make good and sure he has a play on ESPN’s “Not Top 10 Plays” to accompany his dunks on the regular highlight reel.

He Trolls Constantly

Image via @TheRealJRSmith

J.R. Smith is kind of like the Dikembe Mutombo of social media—if you throw up some weak garbage on his browsing time, he’s going to swat that mess out of the air, usually with a clever derp-faced remark.

A good example of Smith being the troll under the Internet bridge were his remarks to Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries. After a win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Humphries tweeted about how quiet the crowd was as he walked off the floor.

Obviously, trolls have to troll, and Smith was quick to remind Humphries how loud the place was when his ex-wife’s new boyfriend was “tearing it down” in the stadium the prior month.

He’s a Shape-Shifter

Image via Comcast SportsNet

The J.R. Smith who denied his awareness of Jason Terry’s existence is somehow also the same J.R. Smith who turned around and used the word “humble” in an interview six times after losing to the Celtics just days later.

Don’t count it as a full Animorph-ing, but the guy can shift personas at the drop of a game, if need be.

Smith’s got to stay slippery. He can’t just up and be predictable or something.

He Knows How to Leave Work at Work

You can’t bring those spreadsheets home with you everyday, you’ll go crazy and your friends will stop inviting you out for Chili’s and rosay night on Wednesdays.

J.R. Smith knows these things, that’s why he headed to the club on Monday night, according to Charged.fm, instead of worrying needlessly about being suspended from Game 4 of the Knicks-Celtics series.

He’s not about to go take that ejection baggage home with him and sulk over a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream. Smith doesn’t bring negativity into the temple that is his home—he throws on a weird shirt and flushes it out at the bar like the rest of us.

He's Just Klownin

If you’ve ever taken a moment to ogle at the canvas of ink on his body, you probably believed J.R. Smith when he said he will get a Knicks tattoo if his team wins the NBA Finals in 2013.

Smith has over 100 tattoos on his body, and despite the fact he’ll be a free agent this summer, he’s committed to inking the blue and orange into his skin if the Knicks go home with the Larry O’Brien Trophy the end of the playoffs.

The guy is basically like a walking scrapbook of Smith-ism’s, and he’d probably let you carve your grocery list into his palm if you ask nicely.

He’s Crazy, Lovable and Hateable

Image via @teamswish

Calling J.R. Smith a “polarizing” figure in basketball is a bit lofty a statement, but the truth is this: You’re either #TryingToGetThePipe or you’re not.

New York’s craziest basketball player is hated, loved and even forgotten at times, but the J.R. Swish Show isn’t likely to go off the air any time soon, so adjust your television screens and ready your popcorn accordingly.